Red Algae...It's Driving Me Crazy Continued

Jenna09

Reefing newb
I wanted to start this as a new thread as the red algae has reached a new extreme in the last week!

I am doing weekly water changes to remove as much algae as possible which seems to be making it grow faster.

I have a phospho-reactor which I just got new media for: "PURA Complete with PhosLock" and I plan on putting that in.

I also bought some "Ultra Life Red Slime Remover" which I am reluctant to put in but that is what my LFS told me to use as there appears to be nothing in my water quality to cause the red algae. They think it is just a cycle because I had the big deaths back in Dec/Jan and that the bacteria has just got out of control.

My LFS said that water in my area is usually really good tap water and didnt think that I needed the Reverse Osmosis Reactor thingy they had for sale.

I have moved my flow around in my tank.

I have looked up other threads and found this info to be interesting from Yote
THE best way to get rid of slime.
#1 Mix up enough water for a 30 to 40% water change.
#2 Siphon out as much of the slime as possible.
#3 Cut the lights out for 3 or 4 days.
#4 The day you turn the lights back on,do another 30 to 40% water change
#5 Set up a reactor or something and run some phosphate media of some kind.

Now is it ok to turn off the lights for 3-4 days with coral?
Is it ok to turn the blue atinics on?
Do I put the new phosphoreactor media in while the lights are off or after the 3-4 days of the lights being off?

I want to do everything possible before using the red slime remover but it is growing so fast I dont want it to overtake my corals! :frustrat:

Jenna
 
Re: Red Algae...It's Driving Met Crazy Continued

I've dealt with the cyno attack before. I did everything except cut out the lights and run phosphate media. The water changes will help prevent it from growing and siphoning it out will get rid of whats there. Just be ready to fight this thing for a few months. Do you have Macro algae in your sump or tank?

Also it went away and I did not add any remedy or medicine to the tank.
 
No I dont have any macro algae. I have a fuge that I have to hook up to my tank but it needs holes drilled in it and stuff done to it that someone is doing for me and our schedules have not worked out yet for it to be done.

Jenna

PS. Can a mod. please change my title I put "Met" instead of "Me"! Thanks!
 
Red Slime remover has had mixed success. Cyanobacteria is a bacteria, so medications for it are antibiotics. These antibiotics have crashed enough tanks (and killed everything in them, including the cyano) that I wouldn't use it in my tank.
 
wait till you get your sump and fuge up and going with some macro algae in it. Algae is natural and is going to happen. Using macro algae helps to prevent it from going out of control
 
andysgirl8800: Thanks for the link I will definitely read it!

Here are some pics of what it looks like:
P3015890-1.jpg


P3015894.jpg


I have star polyps growing up the back wall of my tank and that is what all the red algae is sticking to on the wall there.

Jenna
 
I am going to hold off on the slime remover. I am too nervous to use it. I will bring it back and use it as a credit for a new fish.

PS. If anyone ever thinks they want star polyps in their tank take a look at my tank and it will change your mind. They are the dandelions of the reef tank I swear! Nothing kills them and they take over before you know it!

Jenna
 
Jenna, good luck with the cyano. it looks like a decent outbreak. not many critters will eat it, so you will have to do nearly all of the clean up yourself. even if it doesn't look like you are making any progress, keep up with the water changes and the siphoning. you can beat it back! :)
 
Good idea on the slime remover. It killed my leathers that I had when I used it. (This was before my days on LR)

Take Yote's advice and be RELIGIOUS about it. When the lights are off the bacteria floats in the water column, so doing water changes when it's lights out will help out. After 3-4 days turn your lights back on, if it's still there I'd immediately siphon what you find out.

Also, how old are your lights?
 
Thanks everyone.

I will start turning out the lights tomorrow. I will do a water change on Wednesday and then turn the lights back on around Friday. I will do another big cleanup then as well. I will also add the media to my phospho reactor.

Has anyone heard of the "PURA Complete with PhosLock" ? My LFS said it containes other stuff in it to remove ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. My usual media is just black but they dont carry it anymore and they are carrying this other stuff that is more brown/red/white balls.

Thanks again!
Jenna
 
I get that crap, Mr. Turkey baster is my weapon of choice. I blast it off the rock and then suck up what I can with the baster and drain that in a pitcher.
 
YES I have the same thing, my LFS told me to definetly reduce the light, cuz as soon as i turn the lights back on it starts growing again, by listening to everyone I plan on doing water changes and see what happens. Thanks
 
Any updates on the Red Slime epidemic?? I have the smallest little patch that just popped up in my tank so I'm going to try the remedies in the order listed above.

I've heard that Red Slime comes about as a result of too much nutrients with too poor of water quality. Is there any truth to that? Also I've heard it comes from overfeeding... what do you guys think?
 
Most algae problems, be it red slime, brown hair, or green bubble result from too many nutrients and/or poor water quality. "Nutrients" can come from many sources, such as over feeding, the types of food you use, dead livestock that is not removed, and substrate that is static. There are other contributing factors, like poor lighting, poor flow, etc.
 
The red algae has been reduced a great deal but is still there.

I am working at getting it out every couple of days.

It is truly annoying. I am going to grab a few more powerheads and increase the flow even more in my tank.

Thanks
Jenna
 
Well the red algae is coming undercontrol after moving my powerheads, adding new phosphorus media and increasing my skimmer.

Unfortunately I was not able to set up my fuge as it is too big to fit between my wall and my tank....I thought I could squeeze it in but it was too tight lol!!

Well now my problem is that I seem to have some greenish brown thick hair algae growing on 1 rock and on the sand. What the heck! I think I might be bald by the time I get this algae undercontrol because now I am really pulling my hair out!

I have decided that since I only feed my fish once a week, have great flow, have a phosporemover thing, protein skimmer, new lights and only 2 fish in my tank that it must be my tap water! My question is what kind of RO/DI filter thing should I get? There is one sold at my LFS but I think it hooks up to your actual tank and I have seen it in a few ppls pics in the tank showcase forums.

Thanks
Jenna
 
You are better off just ordering an RODI unit online. You can get a very nice one for around $100. Anything that your LFS sells will probably be very overpriced. I know a lot of people here like Filter Direct.
 
Back
Top